Experienced eyes and too small guages!

[diver42]

One thing about prescription masks is that if you’re one of those who carry a spare, you need two or three. And then you can’t lend it to a buddy.

I don’t get into the water without a spare mask in my pocket. That means if I have a problem with one before I jump in, I need to have a third. The expense isn’t exactly prohibitive, but it does mean that I can’t lend it out.

That said, I know that eventually I may need to give in, when using slightly weaker contacts stops working.

 

[Dark Wolf]

I wear multi focal contacts. I have the 2 week ones that I leave in for the whole week on vacation and the whole weekend on local dive trips. I have been wearing contacts while diving for about 23 years and have never lost one or had any other problems with them.

I also dive with contacts. I am near sighted and a few years ago I had to go to monovision lenses. Right eye for distance, left eye for up close. I use the one day lenses and keep a couple of sets for just in case, but have needed to use them so far.

DW

 

[Big Dan K]

Daily contacts are available with multi focal lenses. They work really well for me.

 

[Lorenzoid]

My eye doctor gave me contacts that are 0.5 and 1.0 less strong. it’s like wearing 1.0 readers. I also bought bigger gauges and a large computer. Problem solved, for now.

I do the same. The tradeoff is slightly poorer distance vision, but that doesn't matter to me underwater because the visibility is limited anyway. I have not asked my eye doctor about the bifocal contacts that others here have mentioned. They sound expensive, whereas I can wear a disposable lens for a few dives, then switch to eyeglasses when the dive day is done.

I tried a prescription dive mask, but the lenses were ridiculously thick due to my powerful correction (-8.0 contacts). It was like looking through a glass bottle, with all kinds of distortion at the edges. I tossed it in the trash. I am kind of miffed Prescription Dive Masks didn't warn me.

 

[Hoyden]

I have ben diving with multifocal contacts for years and still need additional help. I got a Teric and dive it on the brightest setting - no problems seeing it. For my redundant spg, I bought a 2 1/2 inch one and I see all of the info that I need now.

 

[sea_ledford]

I fought off a prescription mask for a long time. Once I got one, I was feeling pretty dumb about it! I'm down there to see things after all.

I'm on my second one, and my wife just got her first. All three were from DIVING
send in a new mask or buy it from them if they carry one that fits. Just make sure you are REALLY happy with your mask model beforehand!

I have progressives for normal glasses, but I just got lined bifocals for the mask. I have a bad enough astigmatism that none of the off the shelf replacements would work.

 

[L13]

I have ben diving with multifocal contacts for years and still need additional help. I got a Teric and dive it on the brightest setting - no problems seeing it. For my redundant spg, I bought a 2 1/2 inch one and I see all of the info that I need now.

So far, the Teric is the most readable dive computer I have seen for experienced eyes.

 

[brsnow]

The perdix 2 is great for poor vision and the new apple looks to be very nice as well.

 

[Dark Wolf]

I have the Peregrine, and am pleased with it. My right lens is -4.25 and my left is -2.25. The contacts run me right at $39 a month currently.

The pro's (to me):I can use any mask that will mostly seal. The masks that I use are $20-30 each, so spares are cheaper. Nonprescription masks are (generally) lighter. Due to being near sighted, I can still make out my computer and compass in case of total loss of contacts.

Cons for me:If I screw up and trash the first set I have limited my options, although I do carry more sets as I get further from home.

It is great to read about how others deal with it, thanks!

DW

 

[boulderjohn]

So far, the Teric is the most readable dive computer I have seen for experienced eyes.

The perdix 2 is great for poor vision and the new apple looks to be very nice as well.

I have experienced eyes, and I used to use glue-in bifocal lenses. Here is s story that might tell you why I don't bother anymore.

I was part of a team doing exploration work in a cave, and I was working on clearing rock rubble out of a passageway. My work had made for poor visibility, but I could see reasonably well. All of a sudden that changed. I could see absolutely nothing after a cloud of silt rolled over me. What had happened was that our two deep exploration divers were leaving the cave, and they had brought that silt with them. They had both passed me in the tight passageway without my knowing it because of that silt.

Actually, only one of them passed me at first. The second one was right next to doing a decompression stop, but I had no idea he was there until I saw a Shearwater Petrel near me--and it wasn't mine. It was the diver doing the deco. I could see the computer, but I could not see the arm it was on. More importantly, I had no trouble reading his computer to see that he was doing a deco stop. (I was not using any special lens.)

I was already using Shearwater computers myself, so it didn't change anything for me--having such a computer had long since made extra lenses unnecessary. The only thing I have trouble reading on the Shearwater is the tiny print that lists all my gas choices during a gas switch, but there is a different mode I could use instead that is easier to read but does not have the functionality I prefer. If you are not doing multiple gas switches during a dive, that won't be a factor.